5th of Sun's Dawn, 4E 210

The flat of the Ebony blade smashes down onto the table then dices the crushed orange crystals into a fine powder, scraping against the wood as its formed into a line.

Kyra sniffs the long line of moon sugar up one nostril and tilts her head back up from the table, rubbing her nose and sniffing again. Her bloodshot eyes stare into the flickering candle in the center of the table as she leans back in her chair at the dark table in the corner, propping her boot up in another.

"Another Brandy?" She looks up at Sadri and nods, before her eyes fall back to the candle light then slowly drift closed.

"Kyra." She opens one eye then the other as she looks up at the voice.

"What do you want Glover?" He gestures at Sedri and holds up two fingers, pointing at the table as he sits down.

"That seat's taken." She says, staring at him.

"It's almost three..."

"So?"

"So, Sofie will be getting out of her lessons soon." Kyra downs the contents of her cup and pours the last of her second bottle of brandy.

"Take her with you tonight."

"No." Kyra jams the point of the dagger down into the table with enough force to make everyone in the bar turn and look at them.

"Glover, just do as I ask. What are you all looking at?!" Everyone quickly returns to their drinks. She glares at Glover her hand still wrapped around the hilt.

"I'm not her father, and I'm most definitely not her mother."

"Neither am I."

"Yes. You. Are. The love of her life died that day too you know. Now, I've been covering your wallowing for almost a year and I won't do it anymore."

"I'm only here because of you, you and that damned wizard." Kyra growls as she slaps the metal cup away sending it flying into the wall and clattering to the ground

"I'd had my vengeance, you should've left me to die in peace." She adds, her elbow on the table gesturing at him with her index finger.

"I'm beginning to wish I had. Sober up, get off your ass and go home to your daughter."

Glover just looks at her for a long moment, his face clouded in disappointment. He declines the drink Sedri brings and gets up, leaving her sitting there staring down at the candlelight.

"Another?" Kyra shakes her head without a word as she drops a coinpurse onto the table.

"That's too much." Sedri says as he examines the contents.

"Keep it." Kyra kicks her foot from the chair and rises awkwardly to her feet, trying to keep her head from spinning she holds onto the table.

"You need a hand?" Sedri asks as she shrugs his hand away from her arm.

"No." Kyra rights herself and walks past the bar taking the steps out of the Retching Netch, she stumbles to a stop blinking in the bright sunlight.

She walks down the path from the Netch, past the traders who try not to make eye contact as she walks past Glover's forge and up the path to Severin Manor. Pushing open the door she doesn't bother closing it behind her as she walks into the kitchen.

"Hello Kyra." Kyra looks up at the man sitting at her kitchen table. She stares at him for a long moment then continues her shuffle to the tea pot and pours a cup.

"Tullius." She says after slowly gulping down the dregs of the cold tea.

"You don't look so good." Kyra sniffs, looking down into the bottom of the cup.

"Thanks."

"I heard about what happened..."

"Uh-huh." Kyra pours another cup of tea and downs it, her back still to him.

"I'm sorry about your wife." Kyra picks up an empty bottle of wine by the neck and turns, sending it flying in the General's direction. The bottle shatters against the wall pelting him with shards of glass, Tullius doesn't flinch.

"Get out."

"Can't do that soldier."

"Don't you dare call me that, I'm not your soldier anymore Tullius." The elder General folds his arms across his chest.

"You're right, you're no ones soldier anymore. Look at you." Kyra's eyes fall to the floor.

"A walking raw nerve. Washed up, strung out...useless." Her reddened eyes slowly wander back to his.

"What do you care?"

"I need you. This war with the Stormcloaks has to end. The Empire doesn't have the resources to keep fighting them, I want it stopped. I need my best people like you and Rikke back in the thick of things. Drunken, damaged, or broken you're still one of those people." Kyra downs the last of her tea and slaps the cup down onto the table.

"This little war of yours has gone on for almost a decade Tullius, what do you think is going to suddenly change things?"

"I've got some of the Empires best strategists making plans and I told them they'd have my best, my one man armies to carry them out." Kyra snorts derisively, looking at the General.

"And that man is me?" Tullius gets to his feet brushing the glass from his shoulders and setting a slip of paper down onto the table.

"It could be, my ship leaves in two days. Go or don't, but there's your ticket."

"Tullius." The General pauses at the door.

"Why isn't Rikke in the fight?" Tullius looks over his shoulder at her.

"She's married, not much fight left in her these days." Kyra rubs one bloodshot eye as she watches the old man leave. She stares into the dark liquid for a long moment before tipping the tea cup to her lips.

"Yeah, there's a lot of that going around."